Table Wine: Don't let the 'rules' of wine slow you

Oct. 9, 2012

Written by

Kurt Michael Friese

Table wine

Hot Mulled Wine

1 bottle dry red wine4 cinnamon sticks1 (5-inch by Ĺ-inch) piece of orange zest (white pith removed)4 tablespoons granulated sugar2 cardamon pods, cracked5 whole cloves1/3 cup CognacMix all the ingredients together in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to just under a simmer (this is the ďdonít exceed 178 degreesĒ thing I have mentioned in the past) over the lowest heat setting on the stovetop. Do not allow the wine to boil. Strain if desired and serve immediately with 1 to 2 teaspoons of additional Cognac per mug, if you want.

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Are you new to exploring the world of wine? It might seem confusing or daunting at first, but it will help to not fall victim to popular myths about wine. Fear not, Iím here to debunk some of the most popular oenological misconceptions.

Older wine is better wine.

The fact is, more than 95 percent of the wine sold today is meant to be consumed the very same day you buy it. Aging in proper conditions can have a positive effect on a select few wines, but for most, brief aging has no effect whatsoever and can sometimes be detrimental. Given enough time on its side, any wine will become unpalatable.

Lesson: A wine is at its peak when you have one bottle left.

The wine needs to breathe.

While itís true that interaction with oxygen does have a (sometimes beneficial) effect, simply opening the bottle and letting it stand for an hour only keeps you from drinking for an hour. This is because the surface area exposed to air in the bottles neck is nowhere near enough to make a difference. To truly have an impact, the wine needs to be decanted, allowing far more molecules to interact with oxygen. That said, a vast majority of wines donít need it.

Lesson: Pour the dang wine already.

Judge the wine by smelling the cork.

I see people doing this a lot in my restaurant and in others. It is customary for the server to open the wine in your presence, a practice that results from some less-than-scrupulous restaurateurs pouring off the good stuff and replacing it with rotgut. The server then places the cork next to the person who ordered the wine. This is for you to inspect, but only to see if the seal was a good one, something your nose canít tell you. If the wine is more than a few years old, itís a good idea to feel the cork to see that it is moist. This indicates it was stored properly. Look to see that the stains do not run the full length of the cork, which could be an indication of contamination. Smelling it will tell you none of these things.

Lesson: Cork smells like cork. Smell the wine instead.

Screwcaps are only for cheap, low-quality wine.

This once may have been true, but today more and more wineries are waking up to the benefits of the screwcap. Consider this: If wine were a new invention, just being released to the market for the first time, do you think its producers would stop up the end of the bottle with a piece of tree bark? While I lament the loss of the romance and ceremony of pulling a cork from a bottle, the fact is the screwcap provides a better seal. With estimates of loss due to cork taint and improper seals hovering between 10 percent and 15 percent, itís no wonder even the great wineries are shirking tradition in favor of effectiveness.

Lesson: Get over it, screwcaps are here to stay.

White wine with fish; red wine with meat.

I canít believe this one still haunts us, but it does. The color of the wine should have little or no impact on why you choose it to go with a particular dish. Flavors, aromas and textures matter, but the color does not. I know many fish dishes that would go quite nicely with a well-made Pinot Noir, and conversely some grilled meats can handle an oakey Chardonnay. Lesson: The best wine for the meal is the wine you like.

The right glass for the right wine.

Companies such as Riedel and Spiegelau would have you believe that each particular varietal calls for a particular size and shape of leaded crystal wine goblet. While a nice glass can add to your enjoyment, and those companies do indeed make very nice glasses, almost any vessel that is taller than it is wide will suffice.

This reminds me of a related myth, the one where a wine glass must be held by the stem, ostensibly to keep from warming the wine. Utter nonsense. Although using the stem will keep the glass looking better by preventing fingerprints, in reality it makes no difference. A glass neednít even have a stem ó Iíve had many a delightful wine served in mason jars.

Lesson: If it gets the wine to your lips, itíll probably be fine.

So, just relax and enjoy the wine, sans pretense. Meanwhile, try a hot mulled wine for these chillier days weíve been having.

Table Wine is a weekly feature of the Press-Citizen. Prices listed are estimated retail. Chef Kurt Michael Friese is co-owner with his wife, Kim, of the Iowa City restaurant Devotay. Questions and comments may be posted at www.press-citizen.com.